Paula Abdul, Louis Walsh Set for 'X Factor Around The World' Special in Indonesia

Paula Abdul, Louis Walsh Set for 'X Factor Around The World' Special in Indonesia

SYDNEY – FremantleMedia Asia is putting together a one-off live special, X Factor Around the World, to air in Indonesia, featuring a panel of judges and former X Factor contestants from the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

Paula Abdul, Louis Walsh, Daniel Bedingfield and Indonesian judges Anggun and Ahmed Dahni will sit at the judging table to offer advice to guest acts including season 1 U.S winner, Melanie Amaro, the runner up of X Factor U.K season 9, Jahmene Douglas, X Factor Australia season 4 winner Samantha Jade and Aussie boy group, The Collective. Judges Bedingfield and Anggun will also perform and the Top 12 of X Factor Indonesia will re-unite for a performance.

X Factor Around The World -- broadcast mostly in English with live subtitles in Bahasa Indonesian -- is not a competition but is designed to celebrate the runaway success of the first season of the show in Indonesia, which wrapped in May, and help celebrate Indonesian broadcaster RCTI’s 24th birthday. However Syco and FM execs are eyeing the special to see if the concept could translate to other markets.

The show will premiere on Aug. 24 on free-to-air channel RCTI, which also screens in Malaysia and Singapore.

“This is the first time we have had an international [judging] panel for an Asian program, which is a massive coup for us,” FremantleMedia Asia managing director, Paul O’Hanlon, said.

“X Factor Around the World in Indonesia has proven there is an appetite in the country for International artists who were showcased on local X Factors. Both FremantleMedia and [format owner] Syco are excited about this special event for Indonesia. We are looking forward to seeing its performance and what opportunities may exist in the future,” O’Hanlon told THR.

X Factor Indonesia trumped Indonesian Idol season 7 -- also produced by FMA and screened on RCTI -- as the top rating entertainment show in the country this year, although season 7 was the top rating season for Indonesian Idol.

The top 10 of X Factor Indonesia all landed recording contracts with Sony, winner Fatin has gone on to become a mega-star in Indonesia and the show became a cultural phenomenon. The Grand Final of X Factor rated 6.2/33.3 shares in a country with a population of 270 million.

X Factor Indonesia will return for a second season in 2014, while season 8 of Indonesian Idol, Indonesian Idol -- A Decade of Dreams, will launch in December this year.